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Everywhere you look, there are people. Different sizes, different shapes, different colours. And that’s pretty awesome.

But why do I have green eyes, my mum has blue and my dad has hazel? Why is my hair a shade of browny blonde but my sisters is almost black? And why oh why do I have to roast myself in the sun to get any form of tan that some people just have naturally??

All of the colour differences between people stems from pigments – any substance found within our cells which colours us in some sort of way. It is the special kind of pigment, melaninwhich is to blame for any of your 3 major body colourings: eyes, hair & skin.

Eyes

In our eyes, the melanin is found in the iris (the coloured part surrounding the pupil). The top layer of the iris is called the stroma and this is where those melanocytes are found.

More melanin will result in dark brown or black eyes. With over 55% of the world rocking them, brown eyes are the most popular eye colour.Less melanin means blue,green or hazel eyes. Green eyes are the rarest in the world with approximately only 2% of the worlds population having them.

Skin

In our skin, those melanocytes are commonly found in our deepest layer of skin, the basal layer. There are many factors which determine skin colour and it comes down to the size, distribution, shape and number of melanosomes plus how active the melanin within them is. It also takes into account the gene protein melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R).More MC1R activity = more eumelanin, less phaeomelanin.
Some people have sort-of faulty MC1R genes and they are likely to have red hair, pale skin and freckles.

Very simply, if you have high amounts of eumelanin but low amounts of phaeomelanin, the resulting skin will be black or brown. If you have low amounts of eumelanin but high amounts of phaeomelanin, the resulting skin will be light (freckles are likely too). People with very little levels (or none at all) of both eumelanin & phaeomelanin will have extremely light skin, this is known as albinism.

What about tanning? The more you expose skin to ultra-violet (UV) rays from the sun, the more melanin the skin produces. This will result in darkening the skin and helps to protect skin from any more damage. Back in the day when most people huddled around the equator, they got a whole lot of sunlight and therefore a whole lot of vitamin D too (from the UV radiation).
We need vitamin D to help prevent illness such as rickets or soft bones so when people started moving away from the sun and dispersing to different, darker parts of the world, their bodies began to compensate for this loss of sunlight and the resulting loss of vitamin D. This happened by lower levels of melanin being produced and the lightening of skin, so more sunlight would be able to be absorbed.

Hair

When it comes to hair, I barely know whether to describe mine as brown, blonde, muddy blonde, light brown? Sometimes I see strands of red and sometimes strands of black? It’s a bit of an identity crisis situation.

You see, just like out skin, hair contains eumelanin (dark pigment) and phaeomelanin (light pigment). The density and the dispersal of the different types of melanin and their pigments will also contribute to differing hair colours, which can also happen across the space of one head.

There is brown eumelanin and black eumelanin. If only a small amount of brown eumelanin is present, the resulting hair colour is blonde. Larger amounts of eumelanin will produce brown, dark brown and black hair. For red-heads, phaeomelanin is the dominant pigment which people with dark hair also sometimes produce. However, the darkness of their hair, thanks to eumelanin, overpowers the light pigment. In my case where I see hair strands that are red, light brown, and blonde, it is likely due to some phaeomelanin being produced. Grey hair is when only a small amount of melanin remains in the hair while white hair is the complete absence of melanin.

There are so many variables in our hair, skin and eye colours and that makes a pretty cool world full of unique and interesting humans. We’ve heard it before, but really, if we all looked the same, the world would be a pretty boring place!

All of us eat, everyday. Some of us thrive off salads, kale chips and water whereas others of us keep our bellies full with donuts, biscuits and Fanta.

A major difference, although there are many, between these two kinds of diets is the amount of colour additives they contain.

Additives are sneaky little chemical substances which are added to foods to improve qualities of food such as their longevity, taste, or appearance. See an extensive list of additive jobs here.

Some colour additives are natural like ascorbic acid (vitamin C) which you can find in fruit. Other additives are formed in chemical reactions like sorbitol (formed by chemically reducing glucose) and are not only used in your food but also products such as makeup. Mmm, tasty.

All additives must be tested and approved by the food safety organisations. In New Zealand, we have Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) keeping an eye on what goes into the foods we’re eating. This prevents people from ingesting too many additives which has the potential for adverse impacts on health.

Most packaged foods must be labelled with all ingredients including food additives. However there are exceptions.

If additives were used in compound ingredients (ingredients of the final product which themselves consist of 2+ ingredients) and that compound ingredient makes up less than 5% of the final food product, the additives do not need to be identified. This is unless that additive has it’s own special purpose in the final food product.

Also, unpackaged foods e.g. apples or food in a package with a surface area smaller than 100cm2 do not need to list ingredients including additives.

All additives have an associated number to identify them – E numbers.In the European Union, additive numbers have an E at the beginning of them but in Australia and New Zealand we’ve dropped that E and just go by numbers. The E100’s are mostly colour additives.

I just purchased a pack of Griffin’s Cookie Bear hundreds & thousands biscuits. Every now and then I treat myself to two biscuits and a cup of tea. Bliss.

However I flipped the packet this morning and wanted to go on a hunt for some E-numbers (without the E). The first 100 number I find: “natural colour (120)”.

Something about reading “coal tar dye” as part of the ingredients in my food didn’t sit right with me and I needed to investigate more…

Coal tar colours were first accidentally discovered in 1856 by William Henry Perkin from coal by-products, creating the colour mauve/ purple. This was the first synthetic, organic dye to be produced and thus the chemical industry of dyestuffs blossomed. Today, they are found in many foods, and a lot of makeup and pharmaceutical products.

By the 1960’s coal was no longer the main raw source of synthetic colours but the name coal tar dyes stuck. Today, they are mostly synthesised from by-products of petroleum.

However, I’m really not sure which is better.

When I looked into what a ‘synthetic coal tar dye’ is, the first thing that popped up was telling me not to eat or use products containing them. Artificial food colourings are thought to have been linked to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. In one study, they found six additives including 124, 110, 122 (found in my yummy biscuits) were especially problematic and should be removed from food. Researchers believe the removal of colour additives from foods could reduce the amount of children between 3 and 12 with ADHD by 30%.

So we need to ask ourselves, do we want to be eating dried bugs, coal tar and petroleum? Do we want children to be buzzing off the walls all day, unfocused and forgetful? Should we really be eating foods that contain colour additives?

Today I watched an epic documentary about reptiles & amphibians. While watching said documentary, absorbing all the glorious David Attenborough narrations, all of the unbelievably epic shots and marvelling at a whole bunch of cold-blooded creatures, I saw the panther chameleon.

Edging along a branch through the Madagascan forest, I was captivated. It’s pincer-like hands gripped around the branch as it crawled along, it’s individually rotating eyes looking 360° around itself. It looked so perfectly adapted to its environment, I was in awe.

And then I realised.

Chameleons are colourful.

My blog is about colours.

I can write all about chameleons!

I’m sure this will surprise you all when I say I’ve never really known a lot about chameleons or any sort of reptile for that matter, so we’ll be starting with the basics.

CHAMELEON

A chameleon is a type of lizard, part of the suborder Iguania

With 171 different chameleon species, the majority of them are found in Madagascar

The largest chameleons are over half a metre long (69.5cm)

The smallest chameleons can be only 16mm

The chameleon will continuously grow throughout it’s life

Chameleons eat insects and birds with an absolutely crazy tongue that can shoot out twice as far as its body length

They are 1 of only a small number of animals that can change the colour of their skin

Now this is where it gets interesting. It’s a common assumption that chameleons can just change their colour to match their surroundings. Scientists believed they changed colour in the same way that octopus or squid do by adjusting pigments in their skin cells to alter colours.

However, it doesn’t work quite like that.

Chameleons change the colour of their skin in response to their emotions or environmental factors like light or temperature. More recent research has discovered they do it by changing the actual structure of their uppermost layer of skin cells called iridophores.

These iridophores contain nano-crystals (made up of guanine, one of the key components of DNA) which will determine the colour of Chameleons skin. When these nano-crystals are all close together, the chameleon is in a relaxed state. Because of this closeness, only small wavelengths such as blue or green are reflected from the cells and that is the colour we see the chameleon as. (To read about different wavelengths of colours click here).

When a chameleon gets amped up, say if a rival comes along, the chameleon will stretch his skin. This spreads these nano-crystals apart from each other and will consequently reflect colours of longer wavelengths such as yellow, orange and red.

Beneath this fascinating upper layer of cells is another, thicker layer of skin cells. Scientists believe it is this secondary layer of cells which help to maintain the temperature of the chameleon as the cells found here reflect near-infrared sunlight.

However, all this cool skin cell stuff going on, only really happens in male chameleons. Female and babies are generally dull colours as they don’t need to be competing with rival chameleons therefore their upper layer of iridophores is greatly reduced in comparison.

To conclude one of my favourite blogs to write so far, chameleons are pretty amazing creatures. For more interesting info on chameleons check out these resources:

Three years ago, I participated in the first Colour Run in New Zealand.

The proof follows.

Also known as “The Happiest 5k”, you run/ walk/ skip/ jump/ crawl your way around a track with periodically positioned stations of “colour” (powdered corn-starch) that gets thrown all over you.

It truly is the happiest 5km run. You end up a walking rainbow, you’re not sweaty because you’re not really running, you’re rolling on the ground in coloured powder and you finish with a big smile on your face. Nothing could be better.

So what were the reasons for creating such a fun run?

Apart from making some moolah of course, The Colour Runs – which are now found across the world from South America to United Arab Emirates – encourages people of any age and ability to be healthy AND happy. They even have a “Finish Festival” for everyone to dance it out and as stated on their website “release a few more endorphins”.

You see, running or most workouts for that matter, encourage the release of endorphins.

Endorphins = “any of a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system and having a number of physiological functions. They are peptides which activate the body’s opiate receptors, causing an analgesic effect.”

In other words… Endorphins are chemicals released from your brain which make you feel awesome, relaxed and take away pain. We like endorphins.

They then join up to opioid receptorswhich are found all throughout your body but most notably in the nervous system along with endorphins. There are at least 17 opioid receptors and the best known 3 are mu, kappa & delta.

This joining of endorphins and opioid receptors can ultimatelystop other nasty molecules (tachykinins) from being released. A special type of tachykinin called substance Pis in charge of transmitting pain and involved in inflammatory body reactions – not what you want being released.

Some people may experience an endorphin rush from eating chocolate or even if they talk to a stranger. It’s letting you know you’ve had enough, but that you should definitely come back to it again, because it made you feel good.

The same happens in runners, endorphins (mimicked by drugs like morphine and heroine) give you a rush of pleasure that helps ease the pain of those rubbing blisters, the aching muscles, your tired legs. After your run, you feel awesome, experience “runners high” and decide you want to go for another run tomorrow because it made you feel so good and accomplished.

Endorphins are the bodies natural way of feeling high and euphoric without the need for drugs. Drugs do give off the same feelings, but also come with a whole lot of other issues and much more baggage.

No wonder The Colour Run leaves people wanting more.

You’re exercising (encouraging the release of endorphins)

You’re interacting with people, many of whom are strangers (also likely encouraging the release of endorphins)

You’re most likely with friends or family who generally speaking should be making you feel happy anyway

You’re surrounded by colour, and as we saw in my last 2 blogs (here and here), colours can make you feel pretty darn great!

Although the scientific data is hard to come by, the psychology of colours is something that surrounds us. People have created businesses, websites, you name it based on these beliefs that colours either enhance or encourage certain emotions.

People with red personality typeare said to be energetic, passionate people who love attention. They dream big and word hard tomakes those dreams a reality. Working the best with and around other people, red personalities are competitive and original.

YELLOW

The yellow wavelength is also long at around 600nm and creates an emotional stimulus. Yellow, like Goethe thought, is said to be the most psychologically strong colour.

People with the yellow personality typeare energetic and fun people to be around. They are extremely independent people who dream up big dreams but sometimes lack the focus to make these dreams real. Yellow personalities prefer a smaller group of friends and prefer mental tasks like puzzles to physical ones.

GREEN

The wavelength of green is around 550nm, situating it in the centre of the spectrum. This gives green the colour of balance.

Is said to stimulate your pituitary gland and decrease allergy symptoms

Encourages positive feelings of freedom, generosity, youth and health

Also represents negative feelings of laziness, envy and frankness

In religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, the heart chakra is represented as green

People with green personality typeare thought to be the most sincere types of people. They are very open, honest and can see the bigger picture. With great manners and good-timing they can read people well and therefore have large social networks and are supportive, loyal friends to have.

BLUE

The blue wavelength isn’t anything too special at around 470nm. However blue is the most liked colour across the world.

Also represents negative feelings of despair, depression and isolation

Blue is the colour of the United Nations Flag

People with the blue personality typeare ultimately looking for peace. They very much value routine and familiarity but work extremely well as both an employee and employer. They enjoy having lots of friends and value both friends and family highly making them reliable and trustworthy people to have around.

PURPLE

The colour with the shortest wavelength is violet (purple) at around 400nm and it’s also the last visible wavelength before ultra-violet rays. This is said to create associations with time, space & the universe.

Also represents negative feelings of grief, solitude, vanity and secrecy

In Ancient cultures, purple represented wealth and in Catholicism purple is representative of Lent

People with purple personality typeare generally more introverted people who are creative and like to dream. They like to be different from other people and are very giving people and like to see the best in everyone. Purple personalities are gentle and intuitive people.

To delve more into what colour your personality is, you can take a test!CLICK HERE. Just scroll on down and click on the big red “START TEST” button!

I got blue, what are you?

DISCLAIMER:
I admit, I am a sucker for finding information that can “match” my personality to colours, songs, breeds of puppies and celebrities, my star sign, you name it. However, I don’t truly believe that in spirit I am in fact a golden retriever nor do I need to define myself as a colour.

This is a blog which investigates the psychological traits that are matched to colours as there is a MULTITUDE of resources out there which do it. It’s a bit of fun, it’s fascinating and there is a little bit of science to it!

As we know, colour surrounds us. It’s everywhere, inescapable, only until night comes and swallows it up, to let the sun come up the next morning and re-gift us all of the colours. Could these all-encompassing colours have such an impact on our day-to-day lives? On how we feel? On who we are?

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe seemed to think so. He also seemed to be the only person in town who didn’t quite believe in any of Newton’s ideas on colour.

JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE

“A great mathematician was possessed with an entirely false notion on the physical origin of colours”

“The theory of colours… has suffered much, and it’s progress has been incalculably retarded by having been mixed up with optics generally”

While Newton had very physics-based ideas on colours (read about them here), in 1810, Goethe (an author and politician) took a much more psychological route to explaining colours and although his ideas were dismissed by…. well, everyone, Goethe still had interesting ideas.

Goethe’s version of science was less focused on experiments, but more about his own personal observations. As a poet, a man of art, he thought having previous physical knowledge would be a hindrance to learning about light and colours.

He created his own colour wheel which he divided in half, one side being Positive and the other Negative. Only when one colour from each opposite side was chosen, would colour harmony occur. He used this wheel of colours to link them with human emotions.

The Positive Side:

Goethe really liked yellow. In fact, he apparently owned twenty yellow waistcoats. It is “the colour nearest the light” and could be so easily tainted or contaminated by other colours. He linked emotions of serenity, happiness and saw yellow as “softly exciting”.

Red-Yellow

Red-yellow in Goethes eyes represented the deeper darker part of a fire. From this metaphor, he associated it with warmth, and happiness.

Yellow-Red

Yellow-red he noted, “seems actually to penetrate the organ”. By this he meant, it makes people feel extremely excited, similar to the way an animal is enraged by a [yellow]red cloth, it inflames people from within.

The Negative Side:

Blue

On the opposite side of his wheel, Goethe said blue has “a peculiar and almost indescribable effect on the eye”. It encourages feelings of darkness and coldness he thought, however it also brings emotions of tranquility and rest.

Red-Blue

Similar to the way in which yellow changes into red-yellow, Goethe saw red-blue as a colour which begins to become more active compared to blue alone. However, rather than exciting somebody, Goethe interpreted red-blue (or lilac) as a colour which could be found more disturbing.

Red

Red is a powerful colour. To Goethe, lighter hues of red expressed grace and eloquence while darker shades command respect and portray heaviness.

Green

If a green hue is mixed by yellow and blue perfectly, Goethe states it will create a perfect, calming, harmonious colour for the eyes to ease over with the viewer having “neither the wish nor the power to imagine a state beyond it“.

Colours don’t belong with emotions as such, yet humans have always seemed to link the two together. A study published in 2001 undertaken on preschool aged children aimed to prove that even kids as young as three, relate colours with emotions.

It was found that yes, by age three, most kids would associate bright colours like yellow with happiness. This also goes for adults. Darker colours such as blue and purple were associated with sad facial expressions and emotions. These dark colours are viewed as low in arousal and therefore might encourage the relation to sadness. By age 10, children are also connecting black to sadness and red to anger.

So, it seems that although there really is not much of a reason to, human brains have been connecting colours and emotions for a very long time.

My next blog looks more into this topic and at an ever-so-slightly more scientific approach to this idea!